How Much Compost to Add to a Vegetable Garden

Prepare garden spots by adding composted materials to increase the nutrients in the soil.

In the organic garden setting, compost provides the services of both fertilizer and weed control. Unfortunately, applying too much compost as mulch decreases the amount of sunlight, water and air that reaches the garden vegetations' roots. Learning the proper amounts of compost to apply to the garden prevents new compost users from accidentally damaging flowers, vegetables and other plant life.

Time Frame

Denyse Cummins of the LSU AgCenter recommends adding compost to vegetable plots before each planting. Worked into the soil during a tilling, compost helps add nutrients and organic matter to the soil to promote growth.

Quantity

When adding compost on top of a garden space to serve as mulch, most professionals and extension services recommend piling the compost only as thick as 3 to 4 inches. At the end of the growing season, gardeners may work the compost mulch down into the soil for the next crop.

Considerations

For the best results growing plants with compost as mulch, push the mulch back away from the stems or bases of plants. Leave a circle around each stem or base measuring between 3 and 6 inches in diameter to prevent under- or over-cooked mulch from damaging stems and allow water and sunlight to easily access the plant's root system.

References

• Denyse Cummins; LSU AgCenter; Shreveport, Louisiana
• University of Missouri Extension: Making and Using Compost
• University of Minnesota Extension: Composting and Mulching-A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes

Resources

• Virginia Cooperative Extension: Making Compost from Yard Waste